Who here uses an avy bag?

Pretty sure for avalung you have to have it in your mouth the whole time cause when the slide happens you won’t have time to get it in.

Yea I ski with my airbag every time pretty much. It is absolutely not a replacement for training or decision making, but if you do get caught in a slide I find it super unlikely that you are going to not want one. In my opinion, why wouldn't you have one, and it's become a basic safety precaution just like my beacon shovel and probe.

I would personally suggest the Mammut RAS system. It is interchangeable so you don't need to buy a whole new airbag if you want to use a different sized bag. Just buy the backpack and then throw the airbag in whichever one you want that day. I own a 22l and a 35l for day trips and bigger missions. It will save you a lot of money.

Would like to purchase one for next season. I have a BD Dawn Patrol 32L that I never installed the Avalaung System on, but it know sounds like its obsolete with their new jetforce tech coming out or whatever. Plus, Wasn't really touring or skiing avalanche terrain a whole lot so never bothered with it (Dumb approach: Don't do that)

My instructor for a Rec 1 AAI class did share his interesting take on airbag systems. He personally didn't roll with one as a guide which does sound a little bit wild, but he claims that airbag systems may cloud judgement and decision making allowing people to feel a false sense of safety which could put them into avalanche terrain they shouldn't be skiing on a given day. And that in a lot of accidents and fatalities, knowing that its trauma that could possibly kill you vs. a full burial, that the bag really isn't going to do you any good when you're getting smashed up against trees, rocks, taken over cliff bands, etc.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213078019300817

Interesting read nonetheless. Changed my perspective for sure and not that you shouldn't have a bag, it really hammers home the importance of terrain management so you don't ever have to use your bag.

**This post was edited on Mar 8th 2021 at 4:38:55pm

I ski with one but basically you only ever pull that ripcord if you're about to die and be buried. If your can fight it and not have to pull it you are better off because it's going end up pulling you with the entire slide - and that means over cliffs or through trees. You're also likely to end up buried face down - not deep, but I think they work differently than most people understand.

On the plus side they are fun to deploy in the airport before you travel so there is that.

Best plan is to do every you can to make safe choices so you are never in a position to use it.

I don't use one because they cost as much as a new pair of skis

AlaskaDogfartI don't use one because they cost as much as a new pair of skis

yeah it's super tough and they are super expensive but it's definitely one of those things that, especially as I got older and had more discretionary income, I really came to see the value in.